Mist your dog with cold water
Apartments and wet dogs just don’t mix. It’s a recipe for mess.
Do you live in an apartment? You can still achieve the cooling effects of a hose by using a spray bottle.
The advantage of a spray bottle is accuracy. You can spray specific areas of your dog without making a mess. And if you use the mist option, there will be almost no water to clean up.
To cool your dog, you will need to use the correct technique. Lightly misting your dog all over won’t have much of a cooling effect.
For maximum refreshment, you should aim for the paws and underbelly, where there is less hair.
While a spray bottle won’t soak your floor in the same way a hose would, I still advise spraying your dog on a towel – the last thing you want is water marks on your carpet.
While any old dollar store spray bottle will do, my preference is to use a plant mister.
A plant mister is designed for watering indoor plants. The mist that comes out of a nozzle is considerably finer than an ordinary spray bottle. A finer mist means less wet dog hair and fewer water droplets on your floor.
Now, I must warn you that a spray bottle can startle your dog. The sharp “pssssst” sound and the cold water hitting your hot dog can
We used a spray bottle on Charlie, an overheating Corgi. He reeled back and gave us a dirty look as if to say, “Excuse me, sir, what are you doing to me?”
But once he associated the sound and feeling with cold comfort, he happily let us spray him all over.
Oh, and if you use a spray bottle to punish your dog (you shouldn’t) don’t be surprised if he doesn’t let you use one to cool him down.
There’s nothing quite like a cool wind on a hot summer day – the breeze makes the temperature feel cooler than it actually is.
As the wind flows over you, it evaporates sweat. This removes heat from your body, creating a cooling sensation.
What do you do if the wind isn’t blowing? You buy a fan!
When the hot weather strikes, the airflow from a fan will make your pup feel significantly more comfortable.
But you can’t just point the fan at your dog’s body.
Dogs only sweat in specific areas that aren’t covered by hair. I’m talking about your pup’s nose, genital area and paw pads.
Unless you have a hairless breed, such as the Chinese Crested Dog or Mexican Hairless, pointing a fan at your dog’s body isn’t going to cool him down.
Instead, you want to point the fan at these hair-free locations, where your dog sweats.
The best fans for your dog are either short or can be pointed down towards your dog – Taller pedestal fans will blow over the top of your dog and don’t offer the same cooling effect.
Does your dog have long hair? Then bladed fans pose a risk. If your dog sits on the fan, his hair may get caught in the spinning blades.
If your dog has long hair, you may want to consider a bladeless fan such as the Dyson AM06. The downside of bladeless fans is that they are significantly more expensive. Does your dog sleep in a wire dog crate? You can aim a fan at the crate to keep your pup cool while he snoozes at night.
It is worth mentioning that fans are less efficient at high humidity levels. On humid days, sweat evaporates more slowly, reducing the cooling effect that a fan offers.[4]
Use a freezing-cold ice pack
I am a big fan of using ice packs to cool down dogs. They provide instant relief from the heat.
Gunner, my German Shepherd agrees. In his old age, he struggles with the summer heat. Even in the cooler evenings, he is noticeably uncomfortable, panting loudly – it distresses me to see him like this.
But when he lays on an ice pack, the relief is immediate. Gunner instantly relaxes as the ice pack refreshes him..
You probably already have everything on hand to make a DIY ice pack.
Grab a water bottle, fill it with water and place it in your freezer. Once it has frozen, place on the ground under your dog’s chin.
Alternatively, fill a zip-lock bag with ice cubes and hand it to your pup to lay on. Or if you want to sacrifice a pack of frozen peas, that will work too.
You can also consider using a cold pack – if you have ever needed to ice an injury, you may even have one in your medical cabinet.
A better solution again is a cold-wrap. These cold packs have an elastic strap, allowing them to be attached to your dog. Now your dog doesn’t have to lay down in to cool off.
Each cold wrap provides roughly 30 minutes of cooling comfort, more than enough time to cool down your hot and bothered pooch.
Important: Ice packs are not safe for chewers. ice packs should only be used under supervision and removed. Remove the ice pack immediately if your dog starts chewing.
Never Leave Your Dog in a Parked Car
Don’t leave your dog in a parked car—ever—even with the windows cracked. Even on milder days, temperatures inside a vehicle can quickly rise to dangerous, life-threatening levels.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Cars parked in direct sunlight can reach internal temperatures up to 131°F to 172°F when it’s 80°F to 100°F outside.”
If you want to take your dog on a road trip this summer, Dr. Reynolds says, “In the car with air conditioning is fine. Keep an eye on your dog to see if they start panting, though. If the dog isn’t acclimated to travel, the extra anxiety associated with traveling can be enough to put a dog over the edge.” Dogs can get carsick, and panting can be a sign of nausea and stress.
Dr. Reynolds trains his dogs from an early age, so not only are they used to travel, but it’s something they also look forward to.
How to Cool a Dog Down Quickly (and save their life) | Hot weather dog care pt 4
Heatstroke can be a rapid killer so learning how to cool a dog down quickly and prevent heatstroke might just save your dogs life. Join me as I run through the 5 key steps for how to cool down a dog…